imirv 


582 


Bus.  Admin. 
Lib. 


PRINCIPLES 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORN1 
AT   LOS  ANGELES 


UNIVERSITY  of  CALTFOR^M 

AT 

LOS  ANGELES 
LIBRARY 


STAH  NORMAL  StUUUL, 

.  CJUli, 


Library 

Graduate  S^v^ol  of  Business 

of  California 
Los  ^ie>-eibs  24,  California 


PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 


A    SYSTEMATIC    SYLLABUS    OF    THE    FUNDAMENTAL 
PRINCIPLES    OF    ADVERTISING 


BY 

DANIEL  STARCH,  Ph.  D. 
University    of    Wisconsin 


2  /  3  3  < 


CF;:.\ 


The  University  Cooperative  Co.,  Madison,  Wis,. 
November,  1910. 


Copyright  by  D.   Starch 
1910 


Bos.  Admin. 
Library 


HF 

5821 

S79p 


PREFACE 


This  syllabus  is  designed  to  be  a  systematic  outline  of 
the  fundamental  principles  of  advertising.  It  is  in- 
tended to  serve  as  a  guide  for  those  who  wish  to  make  a 
thorough  study  of  the  best  literature  available  on  the 
various  topics.  The  aim  in  the  preparation  of  the  syl- 
labus has  been  to  formulate  and  classify  the  principles 
and  to  give  the  better  references  on  each  topic.  Good 
literature  in  the  field  of  advertising  is  meager. 

That  a  thorough  understanding  of  the  facts  and  prin- 
ciples of  advertising  is  of  considerable  value,  no  one 
would  question.  A  farmer  with  energy  and  common 
sense  may  be  very  successful  without  the  slightest  knowl- 
edge of  scientific  agriculture.  But,  other  things  being 
equal,  the  farmer  with  training  in  scientific  agriculture 
will  be  the  more  successful.  Likewise  the  man  with  en- 
ergy and  common  sense  may  be  highly  successful  in  the 
practice  of  advertising  without  much  knowledge  of  the 
theoretical  facts  and  principles.  But,  other  things  be- 
ing equal,  the  man  with  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
facts  and  principles  of  advertising  will  be  the  more  suc- 
cessful. 

Scott.  Psy.  of  Ad..  1-6 ;  152. 

Lewis,  Fin.  Ad.,  74-78. 

French,  A.  and  S.  of  Ad.,  17-31 :  47-61. 


REFERENCES   AND    ABBREVIATIONS 


BOOKS. 

Scott,  The  Psychology  of  Advertising,  (Psy.  of  Ad.) 
/          Small,  Maynard  and  Co.,  Boston. 

Scott,  The  Theory  of  Advertising,  (Th.  of  Ad.) 
'  Calkins  and  Holden,   Modern   Advertising,    (Mod. 

Ad.)  D.  Appleton  and  Co.,  New  York. 
French,  The  Art  and  Science  of  Advertising,    (A. 

and   S.    of   Ad.)    Sherman,    French   and   Co., 

Boston. 
Lewis,    Financial   Advertising,    (Fin.    Ad.)    Levey 

Bros,  and  Co.,  Indianapolis. 
Deweese,  Practical  Publicity,  (Pr.  Pub.)  Matthews- 

Northrop  Works,  Buffalo. 

James,  Psychology,  (Psy.)  Holt  and  Co.,  New  York. 
Angell,  Psychology,  (Psy.)  Holt  and  Co.,  New  York. 
Gale,  Psychology  of  Advertising,  (Psy.  of  Ad.) 

University  Book  Store,  Minneapolis. 

PERIODICALS. 

Profitable    Advertising,    (P.    A.)    Advertising   and 

Selling  Co.,  New  York. 
Judicious  Advertising,    (J.  A.)   Lord  and  Thomas 

Publishing  House,  Chicago. 
Advertising  and  Selling,   (A.  and  S.)   Advertising 

and  Selling  Co.,  New  York. 
Printers  Ink  (P.  I.)  New  York. 

The  terms  'ad'  and  'ads'  will  be  used  throughout  for 
the  sake  of  brevity. 


CONTENTS 


Introduction. 

Part  I.     Securing  Attention. 

I.  Importance  of  attracting  attention  in  advertising. 
II.  The  nature  of  attention. 

III.  Laws  of  attracting  attention. 

IV.  Perception — ease  in  comprehension  and  reading  of  ad- 

vertisements. 

V.  Eye  movement  and  attention. 
VI.  Artistic  attractiveness  of  advertisements. 

Part  II.     Securing  Persuasion  and  Action. 

I.  The  text. 

1.  Description  of  the  article. 

2.  Advertisable  or  selling  points. 

3.  Classes  of  arguments. 

4.  Relative  persuasive  power  of   different  argu- 

ments. 

5.  Motives  appealing  to  women. 

6.  Appealing  to  instincts. 

7.  Securing  action  through  imitation. 

8.  Securing  action  through  suggestion. 

9.  Methods  of  "keying." 

II.  Manner  of  expression. 

III.  Mediums. 

1.  Classes  of  mediums. 

2.  Merits  and  demerits  of  different  mediums. 


INTRODUCTION 


Definition.  Advertising  may  provisionally  be  denned 
as  calling  the  attention  of  people  to  a  commodity,  and 
inducing  them  to  buy  the  commodii-j.  Current  defini- 
tions are  that  "Advertising  is  salesmanship  on  paper," 
or  that  "The  aim  of  advertising  is  to  attract  attention 
and  to  sell  goods. ' '  Obviously  then  advertising  consists 
in  persuading  the  public,  usually  through  print,  to  do  cer- 
tain things.  As  such,  it  is  an  appeal  to  the  minds  of 
the  people.  All  advertising  problems  are  therefore 
subsidiary  to  the  one  main  problem,  How  may  adver- 
tisements He  presented  in  order  to  influence  most  effect- 
ively the  minds  of  possible  customers?  What  is  the 
most  appropriate  headline?  "What  is  the  most  attrac- 
ive  form?  What  are  the  most  "pulling"  arguments 
and  points?  What  is  the  most  effective  way  of  ex- 
pressing my  arguments?  What  are  the  most  suitable 
mediums  for  advertising  a  given  article?  What  is  the 
best  succession  of  points  and  arguments  either  in  one 
advertisement,  or  in  a  succession  of  advertisements,  or 
in  a  series  of  follow-up  letters?  What  is  most  apt  to 
secure  response?  Etc.  All  questions  have  the  same  ulti- 
mate aim,  to  influence  people. 


^Acknowledgments  are  due  to  Prof.  Oilman  and  Prof.  But- 
ler of  the  department  of  Business  Administration  for  reading 
the  manuscript  and  making  helpful  suggestions. 


PRINCIPLES  OP  ADVERTISING  11 

The  principles  of  advertising  are  based,  either  di- 
rectly or  indirectly,  upon  psychology.  Broadly  defined, 
psychology  is  the  scientific  study  of  mental  life — the 
behavior,  function,  and  laws  of  mental  processes.  Its 
central  problem  is,  How  does  the  mind  work?  To  know 
how  to  influence  the  mind  through  advertising,  one 
should  know  the  workings  and  laws  of  the  mind. 

The  aim  of  advertising  is  twofold,  to  attract  attention 
and  to  secure  persuasion  and  action.     Accordingly  the 
topics  will  be  divided  under  these  two  heads. 
Calkins  and  Holden,  Mod.  Ad.,  1-12. 
Deweese,  Pr.  Pub.,  11-18. 


NATURE  OF  ATTENTION  13> 


PART   I.     SECURING  ATTENTION 


I.  Importance  of  Attracting  Attention  in  Advertis- 

ing.    Reasons  : 

Lewis,  Fin.  Ad.,  95-96. 

1.  Reading  habit  is  different  today  from  years 
ago.     More   magazines  and  newspapers  pub- 
lished today.  Hence    reading    is  more    rapid 
and  skimming.     Hence  harder  for  an  ad.  to- 
secure  attention. 

2.  Today  the  number  of  advertisers  has  greatly 
increased.    Consequently,  it  is  more  difficult  to 
attract  attention.     In  1870  the  Century  Mag- 
azine carried  66  different  advertisers;  in  1907 
it  carried  364. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  183. 

II.  The  Nature  of  Attention. 

1.  What  is  attention? 
James,  Psy.,  217-238. 
Angell,  Psy.,  80-108. 

a.  The  selecting  activity  of  the  mind. 

b.  A  fluctuating  power. 

2.  Kinds  of  attention. 
James,  Psy.,  220-226. 
Angell,  Psy.,  84-92. 

a.  Voluntary  or  active. 


NATURE  OF  ATTENTION  15 

b.  Non-voluntary  or  spontaneous  or  passive. 

c.  Involuntary  or  compulsory.     The  type  to 
which  advertising  mostly  appeals. 
Deweese,  Pr.  Pub.,  24. 

3.    Span  or  scope  of  attention. 
Angell,  Psy.,  96-98. 

a.  For  number  of  units. 
Scott,  Th.  of  Ad.,  6-8. 

b.  Area. 

French,  A.  and  S.  of  Ad.,  178-180. 

III.   Laws  of  Attracting  Attention. 

1.  Law  of  counter  attraction.     Power  of  an  ob- 
ject to  force  itself  into  our  attention  depends 
on  the  absence  of  counter  attractions.  } 

Scott,  Th.  of  Ad.,  9-12. 

a.  Its  application  to  advertising. 

b.  Recent  tendency  toward  better  headlines. 

In  1881  less  than  40%  of  ads  in  Cen- 
tury Magazine  had  good  headlines;  in 
1909  nearly  90%  of  the  ads  had  good 
headlines. 

2.  Law  of  intensity.     The  power  of  an  object  to 
attract  attention  depends  upon  the  intensity 
of  the  sensation  aroused.  J 

Scott,  Th.  of.  Ad.,  12-15. 
Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  13-18. 
Different  ways  in  which  this  principle  is  util- 
ized: 

a.  Size  of  type. 

Gale,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  52-54. 

b.  Size  of  space.     The  law  of  attention  value 
of  space  is:     Large  space  has  more  than 


LAWS  OP  ATTRACTING  ATTENTION  17 

proportionally  greater  attention  value  than 
small  space.     Evidence  for  this: 
1).  Tests  and  investigations. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  157-177. 
2).  Mortality  rate  of  advertisers. 
Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  178-187. 
3).  Recent  tendency  toward  use  of  larger 

space. 

Increased  use  of  two  page  ads. 
/     A.  and  S.,  19,  946-948. 
\  Relative   increase  in  full  page   ads. 
In  1892,  18%  of  advertising  space 
in  Century  Magazine  was  given  to 
full  page  ads,   as  compared  with 
43%  in  1908. 

Relative  decrease  of  half  page  ads. 
In  1881  the  Century  Magazine  con- 
tained 2.5  as  many  half  page  as  full 
page  ads.  In  1909  it  contained 
only  0.4  as  many  half  as  full 
page  ads. 
4).  Opinions  of  advertising  experts. 

P.  I.,  Jan.  6,  1909,  p.  39. 
5).  Why  is  larger  space  as  a  rule  more 

profitable  ? 
c.  Color. 

Lewis,  Fin.  Ad.,  98. 
1).  Relative  attention  value  of  colors. 
Gale,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  55. 
Scott.  Th.  of  Ad.,  14. 
2).  Practical  results  of  ads.  printed  in 

colors. 
A.  and  S.,  19,  1196. 


LAWS  OF  ATTRACTING  ATTENTION  19 

d.  Moving  objects  arouse  stronger  sensations. 

1).  Use  in  street  advertisements. 

2).  Use  of  action  in  pictures  of  printed 
ads.  In  1881  practically  no  'ac- 
tion' pictures  in  ads  in  Century 
Magazine.  In  1886  about  11%  of 
full  page  ads  contained  'action' 
pictures.  In  1909  about  34%  full 
page  ads  contained  action  pictures. 
( e.  Stimulating  several  senses  at  once. 

E.   g.,  thick  paper  stimulates  touch  as 

well  as  vision. 

3.  Law  of  contrast.     The  attention  value  of  an 
^       object  depends  upon  the  contrast  it  forms  with 

surrounding  objects. 

Scott,  Th.  of  Ad.,  15-18. 
Devices  used  to  secure  contrast: 
^a.  Unusual  background,  e.  g.  black  or  color. 

b.  Unusual  border,  bv^  a  <^  _<^CfC^( 

c.  Turning    or    inverting    an    ad.     Curved 
and  diagonal  lines,  etc. 

d.  Unusual  pictures. 

e.  Unusual  ideas,  especially  in  the  head  line. 
Advantages  and  disadvantages  of  these 
devices. 

4.  Laws  of  primacy  and  recency.     Objects  at  the 
beginning  and  at  the  end  of  a  series  of  objects 
attract  more  attention.     The  relation  of  this 
principle  to  preferred  positions: 

a.  What  are  preferred  positions? 

Starch,  Psy.of  Preferred  Positions,  J.  A., 

7,  23. 

Deweese,  Pr.  Pub.,  93-99. 
Lewis,  Fin.  Ad..  280-296. 


LAWS  OF  ATTRACTING  ATTENTION  21 

1).  In  Magazines: 

The  last  outside  cover  page. 

The  first  inside  cover  page. 

The  last  inside  cover  page. 

The  page  facing  the  first  page  of 

reading  matter. 

The  page  facing  the  last  page  of 

reading  matter. 

The    page   facing    the   last    inside 

cover  page. 

The  page  facing  the  table  of  con- 
tents. 

2).  In  newspapers :  Full  positions — i.e. 
entirely  surrounded  by  reading  mat- 
ter. Positions  having  no  other  ads 
on  the  same  page.  Positions  next  to 
reading  matter.  The  top  or  bottom 
of  a  column. 

Lewis,  Fin.  Ad.,  280-296. 

b.  Why  preferred?     Because  of  greater  at- 
tention value. 

1).  Seen  first  and  last. 
2).  Seen  by  more  persons. 
3).  Seen  more  frequently. 

c.  Difference    in    attention    value  between 

preferred   and   non-preferred   positions 

For  tests  see  Starch,  J.  A.,  7,  23-26. 

1.)   Syllable  tests. 

2).  Tests  with  advertisements. 

3).  Relative  difference  in  prices  for  pre- 
ferred positions.  Starch,  J.  A.,  7, 
25. 


( 


LAWS  OF  ATTRACTING  ATTENTION  23 

d.  Value  of  different  parts  of  page. 
See  Starch,  J.  A.,  7,  24. 

See  Starch,  J.  A.,  6,  17-19. 

Gale,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  51. 

1).  Half  pages:  Upper  vs.  lower  half. 

2).  Quarter  pages. 

e.  The  right  and  left  pages. 

Starch,  J.  A.,  6,  17-19. 

5.  Law  of  Repetition.     Attention  value  of  an  ob- 

ject  depends  upon   the  number  of  times   it 
comes  before  us,  i.  e.,  on  repetition. 

Scott.  Th.  of  Ad.,  24-29. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  11-13. 

a.  How  frequently  should  same  ad.  be  re- 

peated ? 

Allison,  A.  and  S.,19,  926-929. 

b.  Is  it  better  to  use  larger  space  occasion- 
ally or  small  space  frequently? 

c.  How  much  of  an  ad  should  be  repeated. 

or  be  in  common  to  all  ads  of  a  given 
article?  e.  g.  Picture  of  same  person  in 
all  ads  of  an  article.  ^ 

Should  ads  of  a  given  article  be  placed 
in  the  same  positions  in  a  given  me- 
dium? 

6.  Emotion.     Attention  value   of  an  object  de- 

pends    on     the     intensity     of     the    feelings 
aroused. — Humor,   sorrow,   fear,  curiosity. 

Scott,  Th.  of  Ad.,  29-32. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  47. 

7.  Attention  to  human  beings. — A  natural  tend- 
ency to  notice  other  persons.    Hence  extensive 
use  of  pictures  of  human  beings. 

8.  Commands  make  deeper  impressions. 


EASE  IN   COMPREHENSION   AND  READING  25 

IV.   Perception — Ease  in  Comprehension  and  Read- 
ing of  Ads. 

1.  Principle.     The  amount  of  attention  and  in-  Ls 
terest  which  an  ad  arouses,  depends  upon  the 
ease  with  which  it  can  be  understood. 

Scott,  Th.  of  Ad.,  18-24. 

2.  An  ad  should  be  easy  to  understand. 

a.  1).  With   regard  to  display  words  and 

headlines.       Objections     to     "new- 
fangled" names  of  breakfast  foods. 

See  P.  L,  Jan.  20,  1909,  p.  40. 
2).  With   regard  to  pictures  and  illus- 
trations. 

Scott,  Th.  of  Ad.,  140-146. 
3).  With  regard  to  the  text. 

b.  Comparative  value   of  relevant  and   ir- 
relevant text  or  cuts. 

Gale,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  41^9. 

c.  Objections  to  irrelevant  matter. 

1).  Says  nothing  about  the  article. 
2).  Puts  antagonistic  idea  into  mind  of 
reader. 

Lewis,    Fin.    Ad.,    560-570. 

Scott,  Th.  of  Ad.,  141. 
3).  Attention  value  is  less. 
4) .    Often  gives  feeling  of  being  deceived. 

See  A.  and  S.,  19,  1180-1221. 

d.  Present  tendency  is  away  from  use  of  ir- 
relevant material.     In  1892  about  15% 
of  ads  in  magazines  used  irrelevant  cuts 
or  words.     In  1909  less  than  8%  used  ir- 
relevant material. 

(e.  True  function  of  display  line. 


EASE  IN   COMPREHENSION  AND   READING  27 

1).  To  attract  attention  by  its  size.  In 
a  test,  two  full  page  ads,  which 
had  no  display  line,  were  noticed 
and  remembered  but  once  each. 
All  ads  with  headlines  were  noticed 
nine  times  each. 

2).  To  give  the  gist  of  the  ad.     Hence 
must  be  relevant. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  143-145. 
3).  To  convey  definite  meaning  to  peo- 
ple for  whom  the  ad  is  intended. 
Scott,  Th.  of  Ad.,  154-161. 
Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  143. 
f.  True  function  of  picture. 
1).  To  attract  attention. 

2).  To  really  illustrate. 

Lewis,  Fin.  Ad.,  564. 

Scott,    Psy.    of    Ad.,   140-142; 

560-593. 

Deweese,  Pr.  Pub.,  59-75. 
French,  A.  and  S.  of  Ad.,  217- 
227. 

An  ad  should  be  easy  to  read.     Ease  in  read- 
ing depends  upon : 
a.  The  type  used. 

Plain  better  than  fancy  type. 
Lower  case  better  than  caps. 
French  A.  and  S.  of  Ad.,  208-216. 
P.  A.,  Oct.  1908,  524. 
Lewis,  Fin.  Ad..  108-124;  594-609. 
Scott,  Th.  of  Ad..  119-129;  138-139. 


EASE  IN   COMPREHENSION  AND  READING  29 

The  length  r.f  th«  lines  (3  in.  better  than  s 

very  long  or  very  short  lines.)  * 

French,  A.  and  S.  of  Ad.,  170-180. 
J.  A.,  Oct.  1908,  108. 

|c.  The  background — white  ordinarily  better 
"   than  colored  or  black  background.     Black 
print  on  white  paper  can  be  read  about 
40%  more  rapidly  than  white  print  on 
black  paper. 
Xd.  The  distribution  of  letters  and  words. 

Cf.  Worst  Ad.  contest,  P.  I.,  Apr.  7, 
1909,  p.  76. 

V.  Eye  Movement  and  Attention. 

1.  General  Principles : 

a.  The  focus  of  the  eye  is  usually  coincident 
with  the  focus  of  attention. 

b.  Whatever  arrests  eye  movement  arrests 
attention,  e.  g.   a  cross  line  over  a  long 
horizontal  line  tends  to  stop  the  eye  at 
the  cross  line. 

Scott,  Th.  of  Ad.,  165. 

2.  Devices  used  in  ads  for  arresting  eye  move- 

ment : 
Borders  keep  eyes  from  slipping  over  the 

page. 
True  functions  of  borders: 

1 ) .  To  arrest  eye  movement  as  indicated. 
2).  Hence  to  set  off  one  ad   from  an- 
other— This     especially     necessary 
for  ads  smaller  than  a  page. 
3).  To  decorate  the  ad.     This  is  rarely 
useful  and  only  for  some  articles. 


a 


EYE   MOVEMENT   AND    ATTENTION  31 

Border  should  be  simple.  If  too 
elaborate  it  is  apt  to  distract  from 
the  ad  itself. 

Bates,    Art    and    Literature    of 
Business,  1,  195-198. 

b.  Circles   concentrate   eye   movement   within 
limited  area. 

c.  Diagonals  and  curved  lines  designed  to  di- 
rect the  eye  to  certain  desired  points  in  ad. 

d.  Dividing    the    page    into    right    and    left 
halves  instead  of   top  and  bottom  halves 
provides  a  vertical  division  line,  hence  is" 
apt  to  stop  the  eye  on  both  ads.     The  re- 
cent tendency  to  divide  pages  into  vertical 
rather  than  horizontal  halves. 

e.  All  illustrations  and  lines  should  direct  the 
eye  to  the  ad  and  not  away  from  it. 

See  A.  and  S.,  19,  1594. 

VI.   Artistic  Attractiveness  of  Advertisements. 
1.    Fundamental  principles: 

a.  Attention  to  advertisement  should  be  at- 
tracted agreeably. 

b.  A  beautiful  advertisement  is  more  apt  to- 
secure  the  good  will  of  the  reader  and 
thus  more  apt  to  influence  and  persuade 
him.     The   pleased   reader  is   optimistic 
and  more  ready  to  act. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  22-29. 
French,  A.  and  S.  of  Ad.,  64-69. 
Lewis,  Fin.  Ad.,  121. 

c.  A  beautiful  advertisement  holds  the  at- 
tention longer.     In  constructing  attract- 


ARTISTIC  ATTRACTIVENESS  33 

ive  advertisements  the  following  points 
must  be  considered: 
(  2.    Form  or  proportion  of  ads. 

French,  A.  and  S.  of  Ad.,  70-75. 

a.  Pleasing  proportions  and  forms : 

1).  The  "Golden  Section"  or  "Golden 
Cut, "  is  a  rectangle  whose  sides  are 
as  1 :1.62.  It  is  considered  the  most 
pleasing  proportion. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  29-33. 

2).  The  "Apparent  Square"  whose  di- 
mensions are  apparently  1  to  1,  or 
mathematically  the  vertical  is  to  the 
horizontal  side  as  1  is  to  1.03.  See 
Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  31. 

3).  The  "Double  Square,"  whose  sides 
are  1  to  2. 

4).  The  circle. 

5).  The  oval  with  proportions  the  same 
as  the  "Golden  Section."  The 
short  axis  is  to  the  onlg  axis  as 
1  is  to  1.62. 

b.  Evidences    for    the    preference    of    the 
' '  Golden  Cut ' '  as  the  most  pleasing  pro- 
portion. 

1).  Objects  in  general  use,  such  as  books, 
envelopes,  cards,  stationery,  windows, 
doors,  etc.,  are  near  that  size. 

2).  Experiments  show  that  the  golden 
cut  is  chosen  most  frequently  as  the 
most  agreeable  form. 

c.  Proportions   of   ads    as   they   appear   in 
magazines. 


ARTISTIC    ATTRACTIVENESS  35 

1).  The  full  page  ad  is  usually  5y2  by 


2).  The  quarter  page  ad  has  the  same 

proportion  of  1  :1.50. 
3).  The  half  -page  is  usually  4  by  5%  in. 

or  1:1.33. 
4).  The  horizontal  quarter  is  usually  2 

by    514    in.    or    1:2.7. 
5).  The  vertical  half  page  ad.  is  2%  by 

8%  or  1  :3. 

Hence  1)  and  2)  have  most  nearly  the  pro- 
portions of  the  golden  section.  In  book- 
lets, circulars,  etc.,  the  ad  writer  can  select 
the  most  desirable  dimensions.  The  diffi- 
culty of  the  long  single  column  ads  is 
solved  by  dividing  the  column  into  smaller 
sections.  P.  A.,  19,1204. 
/3.  Balance  of  the  parts  of  an  ad. 

a.  Location   of  central   feature.     It  should 
ordinarily  be  slightly  above  the  mathe- 
matical center. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  34-37. 

b.  Right   and   left,   or  horizontal,   balance. 
Parts  on  the  right  of  the  central  feature 
should  be  counterbalanced  by  parts  that 
appear  equally  heavy  on  the  left  side, 
such  as  cuts  and  paragraphs  of  print. 

c.  Upper   and   lower,   or  vertical,   balance. 
Upper  and  lower  sections  should  coun- 
terbalance.    The  lower  section  should  be 
slightly  heavier  to  prevent  top-heaviness. 


ARTISTIC    ATTRACTIVENESS  37 

Harmony. 

a.  Structure    and    appearance     of    an    ad 
should  harmonize  with  the  article  adver- 
tized.    Thus  a  millinery  ad  should  ordi- 
narily be  different  from  a  hardware  ad. 
The    former    should    emphasize    artistic 
points,  the  latter  strength  and  durabil- 
ity. 

b.  The   parts   of  an   ad   should   harmonize 
with  one  another,  with  respect  to: 

1).  Border — some    articles   may   be    en- 
hanced with  a  decorative  border. 
2).  Quality  and  kind  of  paper. 

French,  A.  and  S.  of  Ad.,  228-242. 
3).  Tone — that   is,    the  appropriate  de- 
gree  of  greyness   or  blackness,   the 
proper   proportions    of    black    and 
white. 

French,  A.  and  S.  of  Ad.,  78-80. 
P.  I.,  Apr.  6,  1910,  p.  87. 
4).  Colors. 

Lewis,  Fin.  Ad.,  610. 
A.  and  S.,  19,  1067. 
5).  Styles    of    type.     Three    principles 
should  determine  the  style  of  type: 
a).  It  should  be  easy  to  read. 
b).  Fancy  type  should  be  used  only 
when  it  adds  to  the  effectiveness 
of  the  ad. 

c).  Not  more  than  one  of__two  dif- 
ferent  type  faces  should  be  used 
in  one  ad. 

French,  A.  and  S.  of  Ad.,  210 
A.  and  S.,  19,  650-652. 


ARTISTIC    ATTRACTIVENESS  39 

5.  Ideas  presented  in  an  ad  should  not  be  dis- 
agreeable or  disgusting. 

Scott,  Th.  of  Ad.,  107-115. 
Lewis,  Fin.  Ad.,  121-124. 
P.  I.,  Apr.  27,  1910,  p.  10. 

6.  Classes  of  commodities  requiring  emphasis  on 
artistic     features — foods,     clothing,    jewelry, 
household  furnishings,  etc. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  188-214. 
Deweese,  Pr.  Pub.,  157-166. 


THE    TEXT.  41 


PART  II.     SECURING   PERSUASION 
AND   ACTION 


The  ultimate  aim  of  every  ad  is  to  persuade  the  reader 
to  act,  either  to  purchase  or  to  inquire ;  or  at  least  to  in- 
crease his  desire  for  the  article.  To  accomplish  these 
ends,  three  topics  must  be  considered : 

1.  The  arguments  and  points  to  be  presented  in  the 
text  of  the  ad. 

2.  The  manner  of  expressing  these  facts,  whether  in 
words  or  in  illustrations  or  in  both. 

3.  The  mediums  in  which  the  ad  is  to  be  presented^ 

I.    The  Text — Description  and  argument. 
1.    Description  of  the  article. 

a.  In  the  absence  of  the  article  itself,  the 
ad  must  present  such  a  vivid  and  precise 
description    that    the    reader   can     fully 
picture  it  in  his  mind.     Hence  descrip- 
tion must  arouse  mental  images. 

b.  "What   is   a   mental   image? 

James,  Psy.,  302-311. 
Angell,  Psy.,  199. 

c.  Classes  of  mental  images. 

Scott,"Th.  of  Ad.,~194-204. 

d.  To   describe   an  object  in   terms   of   its 
images  gives  as  concrete  an  idea  of  it  to 


DESCRIPTION  OF  ARTICLE  43 

the  reader  as  is  possible  without  having 
the  object  before  him. 

Scott,  Th.  of  Ad.,  208-211. 

P.  I.,  Apr.  6,  1910,  p.  92. 

e.  Arouse  as  many  images  as  possible. 

Scott,  Th.  of  Ad.,  204-207. 

f.  The  description  of  articles  appealing  pri- 
marily to  one  sense  should  emphasize  the 
images  of  that  sense,  e.  g.    musical  in- 
struments and  auditory  images,  food  and 
taste  images,  etc. 

Scott,  Th.  of  Ad.,  211-288. 
Deweese,  Pr.  Pub.,  157-165. 
P.  A.,  17,  460-461. 

2.  Advertisable  or  selling  points  and  arguments. 

a.  The     necessity     of     presenting     definite 
points  and  specific  facts.  No  generalities. 

Deweese,  Pr.  Pub.   37-49. 
French,  A.  and  S.  of  Ad.,  187-191. 
P.  A.,  17,  1244-1269. 

b.  How  to  secure  definite  points. 

Thoroughly  understand  the  article. 

1).  The  material  of  which  it  is  made. 

2).  The  workmanship  in  producing  it. 

3).  Its  various  uses. 

4).  Its  appearances. 

5).  Its  economic  aspects. 

See  A.  and  S.,  19,  66. 

c.  Steps  in  securing  decision. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  93-105. 

3.  Classes  of  Arguments. 

a.  General. 

These  apply  to  all  articles  that  may  be 
advertised. 


CLASSES  OF  ARGUMENTS  45 

1 ) .  Reliability  and  age  of  the  firm. 

2).  Quality  of  the  article. 

3).  Price  and  economic  advantages. 

b.  Specific.  In  addition  to  the  general  ar- 
guments, each  commodity  has  special 
arguments,  e.  g.  food  ads  may  empha- 
size sanitary  and  healthful  qualities., 
taste,  nutritive  qualities,  convenience 
in  preparing  and  serving  of  the  food, 
etc. 

Deweese,  Pr.  Pub.,  201. 
4.    Relative    persuasive    power    of    the    different 

types  of  argument. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  116-125,  153-156. 
French,  A.  and  S.  of  Ad.,  148-155. 

a.  Tests  and  experience  show  that  the  ef- 
fectiveness of  different  argument  is  usual- 
ly as  follows : 

1).  Agejind  reliability  of  the  firm. 
2).  Attractiveness  of  the  ad. 
3).  High  jnialities  of  the  article. 
4).  Cheapness. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  122-125. 

Gale,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  59-67. 

b.  Honesty — The  most  fundamental  general 
motive. 

1).  An  ad  must  give  every  appearance 
of  honesty.  Must  not  arouse  sus- 
picion. 

2).  The  guarantee  and  backing  of  the 
firm. 

P.  A.,  16,  628. 
A.  and  S.,  19,  837. 


PERSUASIVE   POWER   OF   ARGUMENTS  47 

Bates,  Art  &  Literature  of  Busi- 
ness, 2,  363;  5,  62. 
a).  By     giving     statement     of 

definite  guarantee, 
b).  By  use  of  trade  mark. 

(1).  Definition — A  mark 
or  name  which  iden- 
tifies  an   article  as 
made  or  sold  by  a 
certain  firm.  Hence 
a  guarantee  of  reli- 
ability,   a    business 
asset,    a    protection 
to  the  maker. 
(2).  To    be    effective    it 
should   appear  in  ev- 
ery  ad  of  the  article. 
P.  A.  18,  1002. 
P.     I.,     Jan.     12, 

1910.   p.   68. 
A.andS.  19,  490, 
510,  1349-1352. 
3).  Types  of  dishonest  ads. 

a).  Objectionable  medical  ads — 

cure-alls, 
b).  Financial  ads  of  unusually 

large  returns. 

c).  Many  ads  guaranteeing  em- 
ployment and  offering  defi- 
nite salary. 

d).  Many     ads     of    things 
" absolutely  free." 
Collier's  Weekly,  June  19. 
1909,  p.  19. 


PERSUASIVE   POWER   OF   ARGUMENTS  49 

4).  Dishonest  methods  in  advertising 
perfectly  reliable  goods. 

Bates,   Art   &   Literature   of 

Business  2,  186-8. 

c.  Importance   of  giving  the   price.     Gives 
definiteness  to  the  ad. 
P.  A.,  16,  482. 
P.  A.,  15,  36. 
P.  I.,  Feb.  2,  1910,  p.  50. 

5.  Motives  appealing  to  women. 

P.  A.,   17,586. 
P.  A.,   18,  1100. 
Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  111. 

a.  Large    share    of    articles    purchased    by 
women. 

b.  Women  more  attracted  by: 

1).  Artistic    ads — tests   indicate    that 
women  are   influenced  30%   more 
frequently  by  "artistic  ads"  than 
men. 
Gale,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  68. 

2).  Bargains. 

6.  Appealing  to  instincts. 

a.  What  are  instincts? 

James'  Psy.,  391-414. 
Angell,  Psy.,  339-345. 
Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  52-55. 

b.  Appeals  to  instincts  are  most  apt  to  in- 
fluence one's  actions.     Instincts  are  the 
most  deeply  ingrained  parts  of  human 
nature.     Hence   appeals  to  instincts  in 
ads. 


APPEALING  TO  INSTINCT  51 

c.  Appeals  to  individualistic  instincts. 

Scott,  Psy.  oTAdT,  56-67. 
1).  Food,    clothing,    possession,    con- 
struction. 

d.  Appeals  to  racial  or  altruistic  instincts. 

Scott,  Psy r~of~Ad.y  68-74. 
1).  Parental. 
2).  Social. 

e.  Appeals  to  intellectual  instincts. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  75-79. 

1).  Curiosity.  Illustrations  of  ap- 
pealing to  curiosity,  see  P.  A.,  18, 
896. 

2).  Moral. 

3).  Pleasure. 

Deweese,   Pr.   Pub.,   185-194. 
7.  Securing  action  through  imitation. 

3.  Importance  of  imitation  in  producing  ac- 
tion.    Much  of  our  action  is  imitation 
of  others.     Advertising  may  cause  peo- 
ple to  imitate  in  the  desired  ways 
b.  Types  of  imitation. 
1).  Voluntary. 
2).  Involuntary  or  unconscious. 

Evidences  of  unconscious  imitation. 
a).  Various    kinds    of    involun- 
untary  actions. 

Stratton,  Exp.  Psychology 
and    Culture,    199-208. 
b).  Mob   imitation,   fads,   etc. 
Scott,  Th.  of  Ad.,  55-61, 
Ross,     Social    Psychology, 
63-82. 


SECURING  ACTION  THROUGH  IMITATION  53 

c.  Practical  principles  of  appealing  to  imi- 
tation through  ads. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  38-51. 
P.  A.,  17,  102. 

1).  Construct  your  advertisement  so 
that  it  presents  action  which  the 
prospective  customer  is  apt  to 
imitate.  This  must  be  done  in 
two  ways. 

Through  picture  and  illustra- 
tion of  persons  using  the  ad- 
vertised article.    Through  viv- 
id description  of  such  action. 
2).  We  imitate     those  persons  whom 
we  admire.    Hence  no  actions  or 
situations   should    be    presented 
in  advertisements  which  are  dis- 
agreable  or  below  the  standard 
of  living  of  those  to  whom  the 
ads  are  intended  to  appeal. 
3).  We   imitate   more    readily  if   we 
know  that  many  others  are  do- 
ing this  same  thing.     Hence  use 
of  testimonials.     These  must  be 
genuine   and  unsolicited. 

P.  A.,  15,23. 

For  illustration  of  ad  appealing 
to  imitation  see  Colgate  contest, 
P.  I.,  Jan.  12,  1910,  p.  10. 
Securing  action  through  suggestion. 
French,  A.  and  S.  of  Ad.,  192-198. 
P.  A.,  17,  362. 
a.  Meaning  and  significance  of  suggestion. 


C 


SECURING  ACTION   THROUGH   SUGGESTION  55 

1).  Definition. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  80-81. 
2).  Suggestion    and    the     ideo-motor 

principle. 

Scott,  Th.  of  Ad.,  47-54. 

James,  Talks,  to  Teachers,  171. 
3).  Suggestion  vs.  reasoning. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  82-84. 
4).  Universality. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  81-82. 
b.  Practical  principles  of  utilizing  sugges- 
tion in  advertising. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  84-92. 

ri).  Suggestion     should     be     definite. 
The  direct  command. 

Scott,  Th.  of  Ad.,  62-78. 
/2).  Suggestion    presented    repeatedly 

has  accumulative  effect. 
3).  Suggestion   is  reinforced  by  per- 
sonal authority. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  89. 
/4).  Avoid  any  opposing  suggestion. 
/5).  Suggestion     should     have     every 

semblance  of  being  true. 
J6).  Suggestion  is  more  effective .  with 
small     inexpensive     than     with 
large  articles. 

(c.  The    Coupon — a    specific    application    of 
suggestion. 

Scott.  Th.  of  Ad.,  79-95. 

9.  Methods  of  "  keying  "—methods  for  deter- 
mining the  effectiveness  of  different  ads  and 
different  mediums. 


METHODS   OF   KEYING.  57 

a.  Early  but  unreliable  method  of  "please 
mention"  this  paper  or  magazine. 

b.  Request  to  cut  out  and  send  the  ad. 

c.  The  return  coupon  which  identifies  the 
ad  and  the  medium. 

d.  Use  of  different  addresses  of  same  firm 
in  the  different  ads.  e.  g.  F.  A.  Smith  & 
Co.  or  Smith  &  Co.,  etc. 

Calkins  &  Holden,  Mod.  Ad.,  261-270. 
Deweese,  Pr.  Pub.,  151-156. 

II.   Manner  of  Expression. 

1.  Short,,  concise^  and  forceful  words. 

2.  No  long  sentences. 

3.  No  meaningless  phrases. 

Lewis,  Fin.  Ad.,  172. 

4.  Many  paragraphs. 

5.  Correct  diction. 

P.  I.,  Jan.  5,  1910,  p.  28. 
P.  A.,  15,  33. 

Bates,  Art  and  Literature    of  Business,  1, 
192-194. 

6.  Few  or  no  superlatives.     No  brag. 

P.  A.,  17,  606. 

7.  Personal  andjlirect. 

Bates,"  Art  and  Literature    of  Business,  4, 

313-315;  233-238. 
A.  and  S.,  19,  587. 
P.  I.,  Apr.  13,  1910,  p.  18. 
Apr.  20,  1910,  p.  35. 

8.  Positive,  no  negative  statement. 

TTT;  Jan.  5,  1910,  p.  28. 
Jan.  12,  1910,  p.  16. 


MANNER  OP  EXPRESSION  59 

9.    Seldom  or  never  use  rhymes  or  jingles. 

Calkins  and  Holden,  Mod.  Ad.,  317-332. 

10.    Style  and  argument  suited  to  class  of  people 
to  whom  ad  is  directed. 
Scott,  Th.  of  Ad.,  154-161. 

{    11.    Length  of  text. 

Depends  on  the  article.  E.  g.  an  automo- 
bile ordinarily  needs  longer  text  than  soap. 
Depends  on  familiarity  of  public  with  the 
article.  Unknown  article  needs  longer 
text. 
A.  and  S.,  19,  208. 

12.  Order  of  points. 

A.  andS.,  19,  382. 

a.  The     "you"    sentence    or    phrase    which 
arouses    interest    and    states    some    direct 
point.     This   usually   the    function   of  the 
headline. 

b.  Description   and  specific  reasons  for  your 
proposition. 

c.  Defensive  points,  if  needed  to  answer  ob- 
jections. 

d.  Emphasis  on  price. 

e.  Guarantee  of  satisfaction. 

f.  How  and  where  to  obtain  article. 

g.  Solicitation  to  some  action. 

III.   Mediums. 

1.    Classes  of  Mediums. 

a.  Printed  periodicals. 

1).  Newspapers — daily  and  weekly. 
2).  General  magazines. 


CLASSES  OF  MEDIUMS  61 

3).  Trade  journals. 

Engineering,  business,  profession- 
al, farm  journals,  etc. 

4).  House  organs. 

b.  Billboards  and  outdoor  advertising. 

c.  Street  railway  cards. 

d.  Letters,  circulars,  booklets,  catalogues. 

e.  Handbills. 

f.  Miscellaneous — Directories,    theatre    pro- 

grams, calendars,  blotters,  novelties,  etc. 

2.    Merits  and  demerits  of  different  mediums, 
a.  What  determines  value  of  a  medium? 
1).  Number  of  people  it  reaches. 

a).  What  is  exact  circulation? 
b).  In  what  territory  does  it  cir- 
culate ? 

c).  What  proportion  is  the  circu- 
lation of  the  total  population 
in  that  territory? 

2).  Class  of  people  it  reaches. 

a).  Who   are   the  people — indus- 
trial, social,  religious,  educa- 
tional status, 
b).  Where  do  they  live — country 

small  cities,  or  large  cities, 
c).  What    is    their    income    and 
hence  their  purchasing  power? 
Calkins   and   Holden,   Mod. 

Ad.,  286-305. 
French,  A.  &  S.,  19  942. 


MERITS    OF    DIFFERENT    MEDIUMS  63 

3).  Standard  of  advertising  accepted. 
The  confidence  readers  have  in 
mediums. 

Scott,  Th.  of  Ad.,  96-106. 
Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  246. 
P.  L,  Apr.  14,  1909,  p.  42. 
P.  A.,  17,599-603. 
4).  Adaptation  of  medium  to  article. 
b.  Newspapers. 

Lewis,  Fin.  Ad.,  206-227. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  226-248. 

Deweese,  Pr.  Pub.,  77-84. 

Calkins  &  Holden,  Mod.  Ad.,  81-87. 

P.  I.,  Mar.  16,  1910,  p.  3. 

1).  Merits  and  uses. 

a).  For  quick  results, 
b).  For  local  products  and  con- 
cerns   and    also    for  national 
campaigns. 
2).  Defects. 

a).  No  uniform  high  standard. 
P.  I.,  Feb  2,  1910,  p.  30. 
b).  Many  refuse  to  give  reliable 
statement  of  circulation. 
A.  and  S.  19,  1213. 
cf.  Dept.  of  circulation  in 

P.  I. 
c.  General  magazines. 

Lewis,  Fin.  Ad.,  251-279. 
Deweese,  Pr.  Pub.,  85-91. 
Calkins  &  Holden,  Mod.  Ad.,  63-81. 
1).  For  national  products. 


MERITS    OP    DIFFERENT    MEDIUMS  65 

2).  For  products  in  demand  the  entire 
year  as  well  as  in  special  seasons. 

3).  Text  in  magazine  ad  should  be 
different  from  newspaper  ad. 
Mental  attitude  of  reader  is  dif- 
ferent. Newspaper  is  skimmed 
hurriedly  while  magazine  is  read 
more  leisurely,  hence  text  may  be 
fuller. 

4).  Are  more  reliable  and  discriminat- 
ing in  accepting  advertising. 
P.  I.,  Jan.  19,  1910,  p.  148. 
Feb.  9,  1910,  p.  39. 

5).  Purchasing  power.  Magazine  read- 
ers are  found  almost  entirely 
among  families  with  annual  in- 
come of  $900  or  more. 

d.  Trade  Journals. 

1).  Go  to  special  classes. 
2).  Hence  little  waste  circulation. 
3).  Readers    more    confident    in    their 
professional  journals. 

A.  and  S.,  19.  72  and  204. 

e.  Street  railway  advertising. 

Scott,  Psy.  of  Ad.,  215-225. 
Lewis,  Fin.  Ad.,  297-310. 
Deweese,  Pr.  Pub.,  177-184. 
Calkins  &  Holden,  Mod.  Ad.,  88-94. 
1).  Cards  in  street  cars  read  leisurely 

and  repeatedly. 
2).  This  tends  to  increase  importance 

of  the  article  advertised. 


MERITS    OP    DIFFERENT    MEDIUMS  67 

3).  Cards  in  street  cars  are  usually  last 
ads  seen  by  the  shopper  on  the 
way  to  make  purchases. 

4).  Text  must  be  brief  and  of  the  dis- 
play character. 

f.  House  organ. 

A.  and  S.,  19,  1083. 

Lewis,  Fin.  Ad.,  392-420. 

1).  With  proper  mailing  list  there  is 
little  or  no  waste  circulation. 

2).  Is  more  apt  to  receive  attention  be- 
cause not  crowded  in  with  a  lot  of 
other  ads. 

3).  Can  give  complete  and  detailed  in- 
formation and  arguments. 

4).  Can  be  used  in  nearly  all  lines  of 
business. 

g.  Billboards  and  outdoor  advertising. 

Calkins  &  Holden,  Mod.  Ad.,  94-100. 
Lewis,  Fin.  Ad.,  311-318. 
Deweese,  Pr.  Pub.,  211-222. 
h.  Letters  and  follow-up  systems. 
Lewis,  Fin.  Ad.,  421-450. 
Deweese,  Pr.  Pub.,  127-142. 
French,  A.  and  S.  of  Ad.,  267-278. 
A.  and  S.,  19,244. 
P.  I.,  Apr.  13,  1910,  p.  18,  and  Apr.  20, 

1910,  p.  35. 

i.  Booklets  and  folders. 
Lewis,  Fin.  Ad.,  353-391. 
French,  A.  and  S.  of  Ad.,  255-266. 
j.  Miscellaneous. 

Lewis,  Fin.  Ad.,  320-352. 


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